24 GENERAL DEATH-RATE FOR ALL AGES, ETC. 



alteration in the conditions affecting the health or sanitary- 

 state of the Colony. 



A corresponding increase in the total death-rate, however, 

 need not be expected in the' country from whence Immigra- 

 tion proceeded, as the numbers in most cases would be 

 comparatively insignificant. 



Thus if the country from whence Immigration proceeded 

 originally numbered 36,000,000, with a normal death-rate for 

 all ages of 20 per 1,000 — then a stream of Immigration, equal 

 to 10,000 per year for ten years, of persons between 5 and 60 

 years of age would only have the effect of increasing the 

 total death-rate for all ages, by about 0.004 per 1,000. 



From such considerations therefore, it is evident that a 

 very considerable decline in the death-rate of a young Colony, 

 which yearly absorbs a large number of Immigrants, may be 

 almost entirely ascribed to this cause, and not to any improve- 

 ment in local health or sanitation. 



From similar considerations it is also evident that the 

 comparatively low death-rates of some large cities may be due in 

 great measure to the absorption of fresh country lives between 

 15 and 40 years, and not to the comparative health and 

 sanitation of the city. The comparative high death-rate of 

 young lives in rapidly growing cities confirms this view of the 

 case. These considerations should be borne in mind in com- 

 paring the total death-rates of different places; and here again 

 it may be safely afiirmed that the Health Standard would 

 prove to be more reliable than the total death-rate as a test of 

 comparative health and sanitary condition. 



The Influence op the Birth-Eate. 



The next most important influence acting as a disturber of 

 the comparative value of the death-rate for all ages is the 

 birth-rate. 



To appreciate the effect of the birth-rate disturbance it is 

 necessary to bear in mind that the deaths under 1 year of age 

 range from about 96 to 220 per 1,000 births per year, and 

 comprise from about 22 to 25 per cent, of the total deaths. 

 It follows, therefore, if the birth-rate be abnormally high in 

 any year, that the total death-rate would be considerably 

 increased without any disturbance of the local condition 

 affecting health. 



It has long been observed that an improvement in material 

 welfare leads to a corresponding increase in the marriage and 

 birth rates ; and hence it follows that any unusual improve- 

 ment in the material welfare of a country has an intimate 

 relation with causes which tend to increase the proportion of 

 deaths under one year of age, and thus considerably increase 



